off the list

In the 7 months since I began this quest, I can honestly say I’ve noticed a dramatic reduction in the amount of catalogs, credit card offers, and other bilious mailings coming my way.

All it required was 1000+ phone calls, a professional editing system, and a blog .

If that’s not for you, here are some simpler ways to lower your profile:

1. Tame Wild Cats

Before you recycle this week’s stack, log on to Catalog Choice.org. — keep the ones you want, decline the rest.

Best of all, it’s free.

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2. It Is Easy Being Green (Dimes)

For slightly more — 5 cents a day to be exact — hire junk mail bounty hunter GreenDimes to bring ornery Direct Mailers to justice.

Or at least they’ll ask them politely to stop with all the sending of the things and the stuff.

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3. Please, sir. No More.

Feeling more DIY? Try the DMA Opt-out List.

For a little time and a little money — $1 + a First Class stamp — you can sit back, relax and watch the junk mail stop rolling in.

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4. Give Yourself A Little Less Credit

Don’t need another VISA? Not gonna refi?

Then visit OptOutPrescreen.com.

Don’t you deserve less?

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5. One Less Dinner Guest

If you’re not on the National Do Not Call Registry by now, you deserve to be interrupted mid-Tuna Casserole.

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6. Send a letter, Maria

Name. Address. Phone number.

Data miners scour public records in order to sniff out these info truffles, which are then sliced, diced, and repackaged as mailing lists to serve you fresh junk mail daily.

Time to separate your pearls from those swine with this simple letter.

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7. People are Talking (about You).

By subscribing to, say, People magazine, for example, you’ve invited the entire Time Warner family over for dinner.

Every night. For the rest of your life.

Contact the Customer Service department — 800-541-9000 — let them know they have to make other plans from now on.

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8. Give Less (of your info) to Charity

Charities need money — duh — but they also need your info.

To sell to other charities — not to mention the credit bureaus — to fund their good works.

So give as much as you can — but keep a little something for yourself — tell them not to lend, sell or otherwise provide your personal information for marketing purposes.

But you better donate — or else.

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9. Opt-Out (with your money)

Buy from companies that respect your privacy — boycott those that don’t.

Sure they want your info — but they want your money more.

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Let me know about any other tips — I’ll add them to the list.

Taking control of your mailbox is something you can do — but you have to make the first move.

Good luck.

jonnyHal